Are You an Excusiologist? The exercise of making excuses is not new to our generation. It can be traced back centuries ago where we find a sacred custom called the "Escaped Goat."
When the problems and the trials of the people became overwhelming, a healthy male goat was brought to the temple. In a formal ceremony, the high priest of the tribe placed his hands on the head of the goat and read the list of problems. This process transferred the agonies and anxieties onto the goat and the goat was set free, taking the troubles with him out to pasture. Things haven't changed much in thousands of years. Just now people use a less formal process of placing blame for their problems on something or someone else. Although the term "scapegoat" is still popular, I prefer a phrase that seems more appropriate. An EXCUSIOLOGIST Here's a story of a farmer who asked his neighbor if he could borrow a rope. "Sorry," the neighbor responded, "I’m using it to tie up my milk." "You can't use a rope to tie up milk," responded the stunned farmer. "I know," said the neighbor, "but when you don't want to do something, one excuse is as good as another." There is a pattern that develops when analyzing excuses. The first type of excuse is outright denial--refusing to admit any association, involvement, or wrong doing. The second form of refusing responsibility is a simple, "It's not my fault" or "It's because of" or "Someone else did...." This is a true form of scapegoating. Find someone else to blame. It's because of my supervisor, spouse, uncle, or something or someone else. NOW WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE IS THIS: YOU TAKE YOUR KNOCKS, YOU LEARN YOUR LESSONS, AND THEN YOU MOVE ON. THAT’S THE HEALTHIEST WAY TO DEAL WITH A PROBLEM.
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Brad A Kasal Sergeant Major Fourth Marine Division